West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-29
GEN. SHERIDAN'S OATH.
HIS RIDE TO WINCHESTER.
Did When He Was Twenty Miles
AwayF--How the Famous Po-
EN- Happened to be Written.
BY W. +. CURTIS.
Copied from an Exchange.


Copied from an Exchange.
An impression has always prevail
eel among those who do not know
General Sheridan, that he is q very
profane man. This idea was en-
couraged by the writer's of army an
ecdOtes and personal sketches dur
ing the war, who represented him as
being full Of lusty swagger and
strange oaths; as type of the an
cient dragoon, brandiShing bloody
blade, and calling for blood by the
bucketful, like the old buccaneers
and roysterers of shakespeare
time.
The same idea was prevalent about
General Custer, whereas he was a
gentle, quiet, blonde-haired man,
with small white hand that he kept
with care. and Il musical voice that
was never raised above the tone of
ordinary conversation, unless it was
needed To inspire courage or dlspel
fear. Custer never used an oath,
never drank liquor, and did not use
tobacco in any form. He once tried
TO learn to smoke, but the man to
whom danger never brought dismay,
and who enjoyed a battle more than
bail, was "downed" by mild Ha
vana cigar, and after spending the
rest of the day in bed, uncOndition-
ally surrendered and never attempt
ed it again.
In that remarkable poem with
which we are familiar, Buchanan
Read describes Sheridan as riding
down the lines with n terrible oath, y
which was so soul-stirring as to
bring the demoralized sense Of the
responsibility of the occasion and to
turn them from sheep to men. The
General does not recollect exactly
what he did say then, but has no
doubt that he used language appro-
pirate to the circumstances, and
meant precisely what he said. On
some other occasions during the war
he found the ordinary vocabulary of
conversation inadequate to his
thoughts, and made use of language
that could not be misunderstood
but the yarns about his profanity
which were so widely quoted at the
time have caused him much annoy
ance.
The impression that his tongue
was mint that was constantly coin
inc imprecationS of 4 unique and
awful pattern was quite general, and
it grieved the hearts of great many
good people that a man they had
learned to admire and love should
tarnish his otherwise brilliant repu
tation by the use of bisPhemy. Many
of them wrote him to express their
regret. The letters came from cler-
gymen and mothers OfbOys, who gent
lv demonstrated and begged him to
abandon the vicious habit, not only
for the sake of his own soul, but for
the benefit of their sons, who admir-
ed him so much and were inclined
TO initiate even the vices of Il great
soldier.
1t is dueto General Sheridan that
the false impression should be cor
rected. for he is not habitually pro-
fame and never swears except upon
rare occasions of extraordinary
provocatiou. Then he does not use
the vulgar blasphemy of the bar
room, hut coins phrases of pictur-
esque and striking originality,
which produces an instantaneous eff
feet and a lasting impression. His
words fall like Il pile driver. He
does not use them for the sake of
swearing, nor from force of habit,
and never utters the same oath twice,
but to emphasize his language and
to supply force which the poverty
of his native tongue lacks.
On some supreme occasions, ut a
great crisis, or an emergency, when
the souls Of his men were to be
aroused. the ordinary adjective would
strike the soldier with no more force
than q falling leaf, and the phrases
of the drawing room would not even
reach their ears. So much is true
of Sheridan, that at such times his
tongue would frame sermon in a
single sentence that never failed to
arrest panic and inspire with cour-
ace men who would nave been deaf
to the ordinary tone and manner OF
remonstrance or command.
The retreat at Winchester was
one of these occasions. a member
of his staff, General George a. For
sythe, or SANDY" as he was better
known who rode the famous twenty
miles by Sheridan's side, but did not
get into the immortal poem may be
considered pretty good authority.
He told me that when the General
met the first group of stragglers, in
full retreat. and was informed by
them that the enemy had captured
L L l. 80,